Only V

Chapter 19-Only way out

The rain poured heavily, a relentless torrent that seemed to mirror Anirudh's inner turmoil. The sky was dark, almost black, with clouds so dense they swallowed any hint of light. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a mournful accompaniment to the chaos surrounding them.

 Anirudh stood there, his strong façade crumbling, as tears he couldn't control slid down his cheeks. The loss weighed heavily on him, a suffocating guilt constricting his chest. He blamed himself for not acting quickly enough. As one friend after another fell, the weight of it all pressed down on him, his head bowed in grief, his eyes wide with disbelief. The reality of the situation was too harsh to accept. He had lost too many loved ones already, each loss a scar on his heart, and now he faced the possibility of losing another right before his eyes when he might have been able to save him.

Anirudh was a man known for his resilience, his strength a beacon for others in times of despair. Yet now, his spirit was fractured. He stared blankly ahead, his head bowed, eyes wide with disbelief and sorrow. The rain mingled with his tears, the cold droplets a cruel reminder of the life ebbing away in front of him.

Soham, sensing the gravity of the moment, stepped forward with a firm but gentle tone, "Anirudh, step back." His voice cut through the despair, clear and commanding, "I'll do it."

But Anirudh was trapped in a vortex of his own making. The sounds of the zombies, the relentless rain, and even Soham's voice were muted. All he could hear was the erratic pounding of his own heart, a relentless drumbeat of panic and grief.

A firm hand gripped his shoulder, jolting him back to the present. He looked up, eyes wide with shock, to see Ishan standing there, a confident smile playing on his lips. "Come on, dude," Ishan said, his voice a lifeline. "I'm not going down that easily."

Joy surged through Anirudh as he leapt to his feet, his arms wrapping tightly around Ishan. He pulled back slightly to examine Ishan's neck, searching for the tell-tale bite marks. Relief washed over him as he saw none. He glanced back at the decapitated zombie and realized that its teeth had failed to penetrate Ishan's toughened skin, a testament to his rigorous training regime. The blood splattered was from the zombie's own gums, unable to break through what felt like rock.

Anirudh wiped his eyes, a faint smile of relief breaking through his grief. "I'm glad," he said, his voice shaky but sincere.

Ishan's smile faded as he replied, "But it's not over yet."

Soham joined them, his mind already working on their next move. "If Ishan is invulnerable to zombie bites, that's a huge advantage," he mused.

Ishan's eyes lit up with an idea. "If that's true, why don't I lead the charge? The zombies can latch onto me, but they won't be able to bite. You guys can take them down from behind."

Soham frowned, pacing as he considered the plan. "No, it's too risky. We don't know the extent of your durability, and the number of zombies is too high to experiment. We need a better strategy." He continued pacing, his mind racing for a solution.

Outside the tower, Avyan watched the horde of zombies with mounting dread. The sheer number of them made his heart race with fear for his friends' safety. He paced around the car nervously, torn between staying safe and rushing to help. The old axe in his hand felt inadequate against the overwhelming odds.

"Should I go and give them a hand from outside?" he muttered to himself, the rain drenching him as he walked faster, "I could probably take on some zombies from behind. But that would put me at very high risk. I cannot fend off zombies with just this old axe.", he looked down, his hands holding the old and rusty axe.